AFRO-BRAZILIAN BOA MORTE FESTIVAL: A UNIQUE TESTAMENT OF STRENGTH AND ENDURANCE OF AFRICAN WOMEN IN DIASPORA

Irmandade de Boa Morte in Cachoeira - Bahia - Brazil. Sisterhood of descendants of slaves who resisted slavery and established their right to a dignified life.

In the Brazilian state of Bahia, about an hour by car from the
better-known city of Salvador, lies the historic city of Cachoeira,
where the Irmandade de Nossa Senhora da Boa Morte, Sisterhood of Our
Lady of the Good Death, holds their annual mid-August festival. Don’t
let the name fool you; there is nothing macabre about this celebration. A
unique testament to the strength and endurance of the African Diaspora,
Boa Morte is a festival of deep cultural, social, spiritual and
religious significance, a joyful expression of life, faith and
happiness.

Procession on the street by members of Boa MorteThe Festival exemplifies the syncretism of
Catholicism and traditional African religion known in Brazil as
Candomble. The “Good Death” refers to the blending of the Feast of the
Assumption of the Virgin Mary in the Catholic Church and the Candomble
worship of the iyas, female spirits of the Ancestors. Members of the
Sisterhood who have transitioned and ancestors who during slavery, died
free or fighting for liberation, are also venerated. They all are
believed to have achieved the Good Death. The Virgin Mary, because of
her bodily assumption, and the ancestors, because of their struggle and
ultimate freedom before or upon death, were all insured a proper passage
from the material to the spiritual world.

Mass at the Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel,BahiaThe Sisterhood is
said to be the oldest organization for Women of African Descent in the
Americas. It is a vestige of African Secret female societies, and began
more than 150 years ago in pre-abolition era Brazil. Brazil had more
than four times as many Africans imported to its shores as the United
States, with the majority entering the country through Bahia.

(Wearing costumes of "Creole" - torso head, trinkets, white coat, skirt and colorful slippers low - they become more colorful waterfall on the Sabbath and were, as always, welcomed with great affection by the people. "Little daughter Dona" (106 years) is the oldest of the Sisters of the Good Death. Age does not limit his actions and she walks the streets of Cachoeira without apparent fatigue. cachoeiranos collaborate with The Brotherhood, one of the symbols of the city.)Throughout the colonial period, Cachoeira was a rich city at the heart of
the cane-growing region; its beautiful examples of Baroque architecture
attest to its former opulence. It is referred to as the Heroic City
because of its role in fights against the Portuguese, but for people of
African decent, the Sisters of Boa Morte are its true heroes.

Donna Filhinha (106 years)In Colonial times when Candomble, a traditional African form of
worship was outlawed, the Sisters cloaked their formation as a lay
catholic sisterhood to pass down their traditions and pay homage to the
orixas, disguised as Catholic Saints. They used their skills to earn
money to buy others from servitude as well as their spiritual power and
social network to provide new freed slaves protection, sanctuary and
safe passage to quilombos, settlements of freed and escaped Africans.
Brazil was the last country in the world to abolish slavery in 1888, due
in part to the power and prowess of these amazing women.

Members of Sisterhood seated and having a chat during Boa Morte festivalDuring the incredible festival of all-night vigils, masses, processions,
and feasts, the current Sisterhood show their gratitude and reverence
to Nossa Sehnora who answered their prayers for freedom and to the
original ancestors of the sisterhood by commemorating their death and
ascension.

Irmandade de Nossa Senhora da Boa MorteTraveling to Cachoeira for Boa Morte was my first
experience outside of Brazil’s major metropolitan areas; in contrast to
it’s more urbane Neighbor Salvador, better known Rio or bustling Sao
Paolo, at first glance Cachoiera seems a sleepy, beautiful, but somewhat
faded, almost abandoned colonial town. But as with the Virgin Mary who
masks the Candomble rites and rituals, nothing at Boa Morte is exactly
as it seems.

Worshippers holding candles at the churchAs each day of the festival passes, the energy
builds, people descend upon the City from every direction in tour buses,
cars and taxis and the ceremonies begin to take a more secular than
religious tone. Sound systems appear, and a carnival atmosphere
develops. Bahianas, female vendors dressed in white with huge full
skirts and colorful head scarves set up shop along the streets serving
all manner of delights, most notably acarajé, black-eye peas fritters
fried in palm oil, with a spicy shrimp sauce and vegetables, which is
served like a sort of Brazilian Falafel or taco and is a signature dish
of Bahia.

Procession in honor of Our Lady of Glory, in Cachoeira, Bahia. Photo: Fernando Vivas | Agency The Afternoon 08/15/2008On the final day the sisters become festive, with the
black shawls and somber faces of the processions long gone they treat
the crowds to a swirling, whirling solo dance inside a crowded circle
known as Samba de Roda. Decked out in their jewels and white eyelet they
dance and spin at the center of a circle of onlookers defying their
mostly septuagenarian status. While much of the sacred rituals of Boa
Morte are reserved for the members of the Sisterhood, the Samba de Roda
is a public exhilarating, magical celebration of life and freedom.( http://globalaxe.org/blog/boa-morte-festival/)

Beautiful Afro-Brazilian kids at Boa Morte festivalA BROTHERHOOD OF OUR LADY OF GOOD DEATH, A PERSPECTIVE AND GENDER MUSEUM

Procession of of followers of Irmandade de Boa Morte in Cachoeira - Bahia - Brazil This work is part of a larger project, the deployment of a new industry in the Museu Afro- Brazilian Cultural Heritage Sector Afro-Brazilian, which surveyed about prospects museum and gender in the Brotherhood of the Good Death, an institution created in the early nineteenth century by a group of black women, period in which there were other brotherhoods of white men, mulattoes and blacks, but none formed exclusively by black women. In this, they had freedom to choose, organize and reign in the festivities. Many churches held masses and processions, but none did as well as the Church of Barroquinha where they were. In 1820, presumably, the Brotherhood of Good Death in Cachoeira settled. From the creation this Fellowship was created the first Terreiro of Candomblé, Iya Omi Axe Intilá Aya, a house the background of the Church of Barroquinha after suffering persecution by the authorities, settled in neighborhood of Vasco da Gama, with the name of Iya Ile Oko Nasso, known as the White House, from 1920, gave birth to two more Terreiros: Ilê Axe Opo Afonjá in São Gonçalo do Retiro and Ilê Iya Iya OMIM masse, the Federation, known as Gantois.

The secular brotherhood known as the Brotherhood of Our Lady of the Good Death, formed only by black women, born in the midst of a slave society unstable when the city of Salvador had a population of approximately 65,500 inhabitants divided into socio-occupational groups, with constant explosions antilusas popular revolts, the main one being the Malian revolt in 1835, according Reis (2003, p. 27). Until today keeps alive the brotherhood elements of african-Brazilian culture, such as religious rituals, oral, costume, cuisine, music, dance, among others; origin need not be exact, however, Tavares (1964, p. 335th) dates back to the 1820s, the Church of the Saviour in Barroquinha, resisting, so there nearly two centuries.The Brotherhood of Our Lady of the Good Death, had since its inception, and continues to have, as its main objective, the devotion and the devotion to Our Lady, and still other objectives in the background, such as the practice of loans and aid financial donations and especially the purchase of manumission for enslaved; in cases of death associated with the Brotherhood took responsibility for burials and masses. The activities listed, the only one that does not apply to contemporaneity is purchase of manumission, the more they continue preserving, through its rituals, memory of their African ancestors. Importantly, the involvement of the sisters in the religious festivities colonial period was remarkable in the sense of organization and periodic celebrations of Masses (Reis, 2003, p. 332). The training and the goals of the Brotherhood of Good Death is approaching other brotherhoods color formed at the same time, however, this is one in which women reign completely. During its formation and legitimation in Bahian society, the sisters have suffered prejudices: color, gender, economic, among others. Being a society, markedly patriarchal and sexist, these women fought and negotiated to stand, able to show their work in organizations of the festivities of Our Lady and the achievement of its objectives, through their courage and strength.

Procession at Boa morte festival It is noteworthy that Verger (1992, p. 101) speaks of the Brotherhood of Good Death as preserving the spirit of initiative nagôs that women had in Africa, related to the activities and direction administration. In the colonial period there were other brotherhoods linked to the Catholic Church, in its Most, formed by white men, mulattos and blacks, and among these brotherhoods black, still in force for the subdivision of ethnic origin: the Jeje, and the nagôs Angolans (Reis, 1991, p. 55), but was not common only formed a brotherhood for black women, slaves, ex-slaves and freed. In the other sororities, when had women in their composition, they had a much lower participation compared men. It was up to them just the organization of religious festivals of the Catholic Church, or participation in services and charity to the needy brethren (Reis, 1991 p. 58).

Followers release doves and pigeons into the air with a belief of returning with message of peaceIn the case of the Brotherhood of the Good Death, women had complete freedom to decide and organize the festivities, since the men were not part of the group composition religious. Women of the Brotherhood were also known as black party high, stand out in the call for [...] African social elite in Bahia (Birth; Isidoro, 1988, p. 16). Relating to the creation of the Brotherhood of the Good Death, the Catholic character, the universe african-Brazilian religious, it is possible to find common links that refer to the rites of death and life, referring to ties Iyabás Candomblé linked to death and life: Nana and Iansã, Yemanja and Oshun, who have a point similar to the Death and Assumption. With the formation of the Brotherhood of Good Death records are also creating one of Terreiros the 1st of Candomblé in Brazil, linked to the Brotherhood because it was created [...] by women devotees of the Confraternity of Our Lady of the Good Death, [...], and a man supporter of the Brotherhood of Our Lord of the Martyrs, [...]. Verger (1992, p. 113), the Iya Omi Aya Intilá Axe in honor of Shango, a house at the bottom of Church Barroquinha, which housed political meetings and demonstrations of all kinds, Birth and Isidore (1988, p. 16). After its foundation, this Terreiro suffered various persecutions by the authorities civil and ecclesiastical, covering some localities soteropolitanas, settling in the neighborhood of Vasco da Gama, with the name of Iya Ile Oko Nasso, now known as CasaBranca. From 1920 Terreiro this gave rise to two others: the Ile Axe Opo Afonjá, in São Gonçalo do Retiro and OMIM Iya Iya Ile Masse, the Federation, known as Terreiro do Gantois. The leaders of these Terreiros were part of the Brotherhood of the Good Death. In the registration processes of official history, many women began to anonymity, yet important names resisted to be forgotten, such as Hilaria Batista de Almeida, known as Aunt Ciata; Anna Eugenia dos Santos, known as Mother Aninha; Bibiana Maria do Espirito Santo, known as Mother Mary; Satira; Juliana; Sabina; Caetana; José Maria; Apollinaria; Justiniana; Xandinha; Zina; Mary Melo; Sinha shake; Agda Maria de Oliveira, among others; Birth (1998, p. 14). Based on the stories of women's lives in the past kept the Brotherhood, the Current sisters still preserving the material and immaterial culture african-Brazilian. Even in the nineteenth century the Brotherhood of Good Death expanded into the Reconcavo settling in the then Town of Our Lady of the Rosary of Porto da Cachoeira, (Born, 1998, p. 14), along with the growth of the Reconcavo, especially economic growth of the village and its harbor, which was a major in the Bahia time, where goods arriving and leaving from various parts of the world, especially slaves from different African nations.In Waterfall, first, the Brotherhood settled in a house known as Casa star number 58, and all indications are that this house belonged to a legendary African lady by name Karoxa, (Birth; Isidore, 1988, p. 22). The house received this designation because of an Exu sitting in port Input in the form of a star, probably belonging to one of women with ties with the Brotherhood and Bogum of Candomblé, (Birth, 1998, p. 15-16). The activities performed in that house was formed the first Terreiro of Candomblé Jeje-Marrim nation that is one of the few with that name today, existing in Brazil, which is part of the Candomblé Bogum of the Old Mill in the Federation Salvador. The feast of Our Lady of the Good Death always happens in August, more precisely on days 13, 14 and 15, which are the days that are celebrated Death, Funeral andthe Assumption of Our Lady, an adaptation of the Christian calendar which commemorates the Assumption on August 15. Marked by processions and masses, this festival dates back to the fourth century AD in Antioch, (Costa, 2002, p. 13).

Mrs. Estelita Santana - Judge Perpetua the Brotherhood of Our Lady of Good Death in Cachoeira, tomorrow September 14 had completed 103 years. Mrs. Estelita Save! Save the Brotherhood! Save waterfall! Save Our ​​Lady! :: Adenor GONDIM 09/13/09 [+] ::Since then, Oriental culture that spread quickly to the West arriving in Brazil at the end of eighteenth and early nineteenth century. The feast of Our Lady of the Good Death was the most disputed the Catholic Church, many churches held masses and processions, celebrating the party the next day, no longer did so well as the chapel of Barroquinha, with longest route, the busiest and most ostentatious presentation (Campos, 2001 p. 358-359), being organized for years by the Brotherhood of the Lord of the Martyrs Barroquinha, and then began to share the same with the organization of the Brotherhood Boa Morte, who Priore was a group of black women devoted to Our Lady of Good Death.

Adenor Gondim - Cachoeira - Bahia August 2002 Mrs. Estelita, 98 years, Judge Perpetua the Brotherhood of Our Lady of Good Death in Cachoeira BahiaThe organization of festivities begins months before, when the sisters prepare for total devotion to Our Lady, seeking to divide tasks among themselves. On first day of the festival happens at the Funeral Mass in the Chapel of the Brotherhood itself, where ensure sisters Mary and sisters and remember deceased relatives, and soon after offer supper white foods when used without the presence of palm oil. On this day the sisters wear the white garment, symbolizing mourning in african-Brazilian culture. On second day, happens the mass of this body and follows the procession or funeral procession the streets of Cachoeira, with sisters dressed in their finery.

samba de roda On the third day, is conducted Mass and procession of the Assumption of Our Lady Victorious in the streets of Waterfall, with sisters wearing the costume gala, but leaving on display the color red, symbolizing the joy and glory of Our Lady and wearing lots of jewelry. The procession is accompanied by thousands of visitors and intense fireworks. Shortly after Brotherhood procession to serve in their home-based feijoada accompanied by samba wheel, all in a peculiar mixture of the profane mystic-religious system, (Birth; Isidoro, 1988, p. 29). On this day Waterfall receives thousands of tourists, mainly african- Americans, and other Brotherhoods, and communities surrounding the capital,to honor this cultural practice that preserves important elements of african-memory Brazilian.

Day Baiana 25 11 2006 - Church of Our Lady of the Rosary of the Blacks - Pillory

The Sisters of the Good Death, even in the face of varied cultural change, socio- economic and religious, keep finding reasons for their existence and social function, maintaining its tradition with strength and beauty, preserving traits of memories ancestors. The dynamic associative dating back to women's associations in Africa, if constitutes an important element for its own survival in Brazilian society; and currently, with little more than two dozen women. Initially the Brotherhood had over two hundred, but as a result of social dynamics This Brotherhood was losing adept. The Brotherhood of Good Death over the years has contributed to the Maintaining this rich memory african-Brazilian, keeping alive, either through records, either by oral or by the work with the community and with their own Brotherhood is the sacred rituals, the gift that keeps Brotherhood cultural memory african-Brazilian in their daily lives.

Door of the Church of the Third Order of Carmel.Savior scorned reborn in simple people occupying churches, terraces, stadiums, streets, squares with solemn and debauched his way, being religious and profane. Salve November 25 - Official Day of Baianas . the XE! Every Day is Day Baianas, Boy!

It is important to acknowledge that the nature of the saints and the Orishás, and hence of the

Afro-Brazilians' perceptions of them, is very different. The saints are abstract, and are known to

the Afro-Brazilians only in the form of pictures and plaster statues. The Orishás, in contrast,

descend to earth to the call of ceremonial drum rhythms to enter the bodies of their devotees,

who actually "become" the spiritual beings who have come to dance in the midst of their human

community. The Orishás have personalities and likes and dislikes, and they influence the daily

lives of their devotees. People's characters and fate are determined by the Orishás, who are

their spiritual guides and guardians, not by the saints.

It is significant that the two styles of religious self-affirmation represented by the Sisterhood of

Good Death and the Candomblé are not mutually exclusive options for Afro-Brazilians, but that,9

on the contrary, the same individuals founded, and their descendants still participate in, and are

leaders of, both systems. When the influential priestess of the Candomblé, Axé Opô Afonjá,

died in l967, a funeral ceremony was held, as it had been for her predecessor in l938, in the

Church of Our Lady of the Rosary of Black People. But a Catholic funeral is not sufficient for a

Candomblé initiate, and a special Candomblé ceremony for the dead, an axexéi, was also held

for her.

The Sisterhood of Good Death preceded the official establishing of the Casa Branca

Candomblé as an Afro-Brazilian institution growing out of the Church of Barroquinha. The

Candomblé temple that eventually became overtly officialized as the Casa Branca, however,

existed before the entry of its members into the Catholic Church. According to one account,

there are people who attest that the Casa Branca is really more than 350 years old, dating from

the beginnings of slavery in Brazil. They say that its original location was in a subterranean spot

entered through a hole in a tree.(13) Although the specifics of this version of the original location

are clearly apocryphal, it is undeniable that forms of African religious worship began as soon as

the Africans reached Brazil, and not only preceded, but also precipitated the creation of the

Afro-Catholic sisterhoods and brotherhoods.

In Cachoeira people say that the Sisterhood of Good Death grew out of a Candomblé whose

members were forced into the Catholic Church by a priest who was anxious to end their

autonomous religious life, and there is every reason to believe that its origins in Salvador were

the same. The original locus of the religious grouping that became known as the Casa Branca

was probably underground in the figurative rather than literal sense in that it was secluded in a

remote area because of persecution by slave owners, and also because such a location was

totally appropriate for a religion based on the forces of nature.

The church's drawing of Candomblé members into itself did not, however, kill the Candomblé,

as was the intent. The Candomblé went into the church in the form of the sisterhoods and

brotherhoods, going underground in a sense, and it came out again in the form of overt,

autonomous institutions. As a result of belonging to the Sisterhood of Good Death, the original

sisters were able to secure their freedom, for which they remained grateful to Our Lady of

Good Death/Our Lady of Glory. They also, while remaining members of the Catholic

Sisterhood, firmly institutionalized their own autonomous spiritual foundation outside of the

church. The Afro-Catholic sisterhoods and brotherhoods have almost gone out of existence,

whereas the Candomblé continues to flourish and proliferate. The Catholic Church used the

Black and White I was born, I grew up and raised White and Black. One day the noonday sun was coming up and the colors began to bother. Bota bother about it. Retei me and opened the doors was a disaster this stormy intercourse of colors. dawn a lazy lost the fear of colors.

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